Baling means



Dec. 31? 1946. s. D. RUSSELL BALING MEANS Filed July 26, 1943 INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 31, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE BALING MEANS Stanley D.- Russell, Racine, Wis., lasslgnor to J. I. Case Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation Application July 26, 1943, Serial N0. 496,138

2 Claims. (Cl. loll-19) The present invention relates to baling and more particularly to baling fibrous material such as hay, straw and the like and an object of the invention is to generally improve the methods and apparatus for performing this work. In baling hay and other forage crops, weather conditions and other factors at times make rit virtually impossible to bale the material when it has the proper moisture content. Under these conditions there is always the temptation to bale the material when it is too damp. If this is done, the chances are that the bales will spoil, particularly in the center due to molding caused by the excess moisture and lack of access of air to the interior of the bales. If ventilation of the interior of the bale could be provided, this excess moisture could be dissipated after the bale was formed and stored away from the weather. Thus the material could be successfully baled with a higher moisture content than has heretofore been feasible. The material then could cure at least in part in the bale and it would be possible to successfully make hay under conditions of excessive humidity which might prevent the operation with known expedients. Also other uses for an opening in baled material might present themselves and therefore the principal object of the invention is to provide suitable mechanism for producing a passageway in baled material.

Further objects are to provide a simple and inexpensive expedient for achieving this object; such an expedient which is applicable to known baling mechanisms and such an expedient w'hich will require a minimum of alteration when the device is supplied as original equipment or as an attachment for balers already built.

The manner in which these objects are accomplished is shown in the accompanying drawing in which a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention as herein expressed.

In the drawing Figure 1 represents a vertical axial sectional view ol.' so much of a baling machine as necessary to illustrate the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. perspective view of a bale made with the mechanism disclosed.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified application of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig.2, showing a further modified construction.

As seen in Fig. 1 the baling machine has a bale case or chamber generally designated as I0 which may be of anysuitable or well-known type in which is reciprocable a plunger II, the plunger being moved back and forth in chamber I0 by means of a pitman I2 connected with suitable or well-known mechanism not shown and forming no part of the present invention. Bale chamber I0 in the present instance has a feed opening I3, Fig. 2, in one side thereof and toward which extends a movable apron I4 which conveys fibrous material in well-known manner toward opening I3. Plunger II is shown blocking opening I3 but periodically moves to the dotted position shown clear of the feed opening so that material moving with apron I 4 toward opening I3 is projected into baling chamber Ill. The return stroke of plunger II compresses this material in chamber I0 in well-known manner, again momentarily blocking opening I3. Toward the end of the compressing stroke, a knife I5 on plunger II cooperates with a .cutting block or shear plate I6 on chamber I0 to cut oii the material caught in opening I3 by advance of plunger II.

Repetition of this action, as is shown in Fig. 1, results in a series of separate bodies of fibrous material being compressed against each other into a virtually continuous body of baled material, the separate parts or feeds remaining to a certain extent independent because of the cutting action of knife I5.

In the baler shown, this body of baled material is separated from time to time by fingers or slotters I1 and I8 inserted into chamber I0 at intervals in well-known manner so as to be caught and baled into the compressed material. I l and I8 move with the baled material to an open portion I0* of baling chamber I0 whereupon wires as I9 are passed through grooves 20 and 2| in the slotters and fastened around the bales ln well-known manner not necessary to further describe.

The construction and operation of the machine as so far described is shown and described in detail in applicants co-pending patent No. 2,362,861, Issued November 14, 1944, for Baler.

In the present instance in order to form the above mentioned Ventilating openings, a punch 22 preferably although not necessarily provided with a reduced end portion 23 is provided and fixed with a head portion 24 of plunger II by any suitable means such for example as a screw Slottersv is preferably made somewhat longer than the thickness of a single feed" oi ilbrous material.

The punch forms an opening through each feedl as it is compressed into the bale, the openings registering with each other so as to form a continuous passageway 21 through the baled material and which will be open to the atmosphere at either end of each individual bale as clearly shown in Fig. 8. By having punch 22 long enough to penetrate at least part way through a previous feed, the punch operates to insure a complete registration of the several holes and a clean passageway in the resulting bale.

It is to be noted that, owing to the spacing between slotters l1 and I8. punch 22 may extend as iar as desired without contacting or interfering with the slotters, and it is also noted that a plurality of punches as 22, are'contemplated where desirable, as within the scope of the invention.

The invention is not considered as limited to use with the type of balers shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but may also be used with older type balers utilizing conventional ballng blocks for separating the bales. Such a construction is shown in Fig. 4 in which a hailing chamber 28 has a feed opening or hopper 29 through which material and division blocks as 30 are introduced into.

chamber 28. A plunger 3| is actuated by a pitman .32 and has a punch 33 xed with a head 34 of the plunger in a manner similar to above mentioned plunger 22 as by a screw 35.

To prevent interference of block 30 with plunger/34, an opening 3B is provided in each 4 'Ihe modiiication of P18. 5 is Preferably identical with the structure o! Fig. 2, except for the provision of a plurality of punches I8 and Il. and therefore the same reference characters have-been applied to the parts corresponding to Fig. 2. This arrangement is ot utility under circumstances such that a single opening in the bale is deemed insuillcient.

The above being a complete description o! l0 typical working embodimentsbf thc invention,

what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent o! the United States is:

1. In a baler, the combination of a haling chamber, a plunger therein. means for feeding u material to be baled into the chamber for compression by said plunger, spaced slotters adapted to be inserted at intervals into the chamber for separating the resulting bales and a punch rigid- 'ly mounted on said plunger positioned to penetrate the material being baledv at a position between said spaced slotters,v said punch projecting at all times from the face of said plunger and being of a length to pass entirely through one ',feed of material, and to penetrate at least partway through a previous feed whereby repeated 35 separating the resulting. bales and a plurality of punches rigidly mounted on said plunger positioned to penetrate the material being baled at positionsy spaced from said slotters, said punches projecting at all times from the face of said block and which is preferably generous enough' 40 plunger and being of a lengthto pass entirely to provide for free travel of punch 33 even though block 80 may vary somewhat from its usual or intended position. The operation of punch 33 is substantially identical with that of punch 22 above described, the resulting bales having a passageway 31 therethrough which provides for ventilation of the interior in the manner above described, or for other purposes.

through one ieed'of material. and to penetrate at least partway through the previous feed whereby repeated strokes of said plunger and punches result in continuous openings through each bale and which openings remain when the v bale is removed from the machine.

STANLEY D. RUSSELL. 

